Honorary Doctorate
A university awards an honorary doctorate to a person who has made a significant contribution to society or to the university itself. Honorary doctorates do not require the recipient to have any formal education or an education at the school itself, and those who receive an honorary doctorate can use the title of "Dr." if they wish. Adding "h.c." after the degree is a way to denote that it is honorary. For instance, Meryl Streep (an alumnus of Yale University), who received an honorary degree from Princeton University in 2009, can now refer to herself as Dr.h.c. Meryl Streep.
An honorary degree does not imply that the recipient is now allowed to practice the profession in which he or she received the degree or to apply to teach at any university, though some universities might honor them as academic degrees depending on their policies. An honorary degree is simply an honor, and it can even be awarded by nonacademic organizations such as churches. An honorary degree cannot be requested, and a person must be nominated by a committee to be considered to receive one.